ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi hopes the beauty of his native Florence will win over German Chancellor Angela Merkel when the leaders of two of the euro zone's biggest economies meet there days before a crucial Greek election.
The bilateral summit, which Renzi told a newspaper on Tuesday would happen on Jan. 22-23, will put the Italian, who seeks more budget flexibility and emphasis on growth, at the same dinner table as the German who insists on structural reforms and spending cuts.
"The chancellor and I have a good personal relationship, but our opinions sometimes diverge," the 39-year-old former mayor of Florence told La Nazione, outlining the charm offensive he plans when he hosts Merkel.
"When she told me that she has only been to Florence once, I took the opportunity of inviting her."
Renzi said the two would dine in one of the frescoed rooms of the 14th century Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall, followed by a tour of the Uffizi Gallery, to be topped off the next morning by a viewing of Michelangelo's David.
The meeting is scheduled for just two days before a Greek general election that has rekindled talk of a possible breakup of the euro zone.
Renzi hopes his city's charm will rub off on the 60-year-old German leader, telling the newspaper: "(Russian novelist Fyodor) Dostoyevsky used to say that beauty would save the world. Let's see if it can save Europe too."
(Reporting by Alessandra Galloni; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)